Gone
by Blackwolfhunting
Summary: Something is different about Daniel and Vlad Masters can't but his finger on what. But when he notices that Danny leaves the mansion at night he follows and finds out the horrible truth. Character death, slight angst, sad. Image Not Mine!


Gone

Vlad Masters, a billionaire that had everything he could ever want. Well, almost everything.

Vlad stood in his private study and stared at the picture he had on his mantle, the fire caressing him gently as he did. The picture of his college twenty year reunion, him having a hand on the youngest Fenton's shoulder. Danny was glaring up at him but Vlad didn't care, he could only stare at the family he could've had if Jack Fenton hadn't ruined his life forever. Vlad sighed as he turned away from the picture and returned to his desk, working on his paperwork as mayor of Amity Park.

He was still in a whole different world though and eventually gave up on the paperwork, instead twirling in his chair and staring out the two huge windows in his office and watched as the clouds in the sky poured out the tears they held. Vlad watched as the rain pattered his window with random designs before falling down towards the bottom of his window.

Vlad could only feel that something wasn't right with the world as the rain continued on through the night, most likely soaking anyone who was out in the rain. He sighed again as he turned back towards his desk and finished some papers before giving up for the night. His mind still on the possible family he could've had if he had never been plagued with ecto-acne.

Vlad walked down the huge halls of his mansion, taking twists and turns as he finally came to his room. The room was decorated in the appropriate red and gold of a king, the bed sheets crimson with the gold trimming and a huge four poster bed pushed up against the furthest wall away from the door. He had two doors, one leading into a bathroom and the other a walk in closet.

Vlad did his nightly business and changed into his pajamas before finally climbing into bed, his cat Maddie was on his extra pillow where she normally sat. Vlad scratched behind one of her ears before he too slipped off into the dark nothingness of his dreams.

xGonex

Vlad blinked open his eyes tiredly as he looked around, trying to figure out what had woken him. His cat was on her pillow, hackles standing as she hissed and spat at whatever it was. That was when his ghost sense went off, the heat seeping through his body and out of his mouth, leaving a red mist to exit out of his mouth.

Vlad frowned as he glanced at the clock on his bedside table, its glowing green numbers showing 4:30 AM and making him groan in irritation. He sat up in his bed and looked around his room quickly. "Skulker I swear if that's you, I'm going to rip you apart." Vlad threatened as he got out of bed and transformed, ready to go through with his threat if it was the Hunter.

Only to blink in surprise when a teenage boy appeared before him, wearing a black hazmat suit with a stylized D on the front of it, pure white hair falling into glowing green eyes and skin glowing in the night. Vlad Plasmius had never thought that his young arch nemesis would be in front of him at four o'clock in the morning looking stressed and scared out of his mind.

The boy glanced around for a minute before looked at the older half ghost nervously before speaking. "Plasmius, I need a favor."

Now Vlad was speechless. The young halfa never asked for favors from him, always worried that Vlad would want something in return, and normally Vlad would want something in return, but this time, he felt something was very wrong. Something was off with the younger one but Vlad couldn't put his finger on it. "What's this favor?" He asked as he tried to figure out what was different about the young half ghost.

Danny smiled sadly as he looked at the older one, green eyes glowing softly as he floated into the air. "Can I stay here every now and then, you know, because of my parents?" Danny asked as he waited for a reply.

Vlad's glowing red eyes were looking at the teen with surprise, not sure if he heard that right. "Wait…you want to stay here…with me….you Arch Nemesis? Why?" Vlad asked as he watched the young half ghost shift nervously in the air.

"Well, they um, we got into a fight over something stupid and I needed someplace to hide. Just till we cool off and everything." Danny explained quickly, eyes on the ground the entire time. Vlad's eyes narrowed at this, the teen clearly lying about what was going on. The boy would normally hide at a friend's house if that were true, not at his.

"What's really going on Daniel? What really happened?" Vlad asked as he watched the younger shift restlessly until something popped into his mind, scaring him senseless with the possibility. "You didn't tell them you're a half ghost, did you?" Vlad asked in anger, his eyes narrowing in anger.

Danny's head snapped up and he stared at the older ghost, eyes wide with fear and surprise. Vlad didn't need any more of an answer than that. Vlad sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and yet in anger. How could the boy be so stupid as to do that, but then it had obviously blown up in his face.

"Daniel, I can't believe you told them! Why would you do such a thing! You know they're ghost hunters and they would have no problem ripping you apart Molecule by Molecule!" Vlad shouted at the child as he let loose his anger on his young nemesis. Danny just floated there with his head down and not staring at the older one.

It was several minutes later when Vlad finished his ranting and turned back towards his young counterpart, eyes still glowing red in anger but also sympathy. "You may stay Daniel, but I expect you to go to school every day and to listen to my rules. I will have no back talk about this." Vlad said as he watched the younger half ghost.

Danny looked up at him through his white bangs with saddened eyes and nodded his head. "I'll try Plasmius, I promise." Danny said as turned and floated through the door, leaving a very annoyed and yet befuddled Vlad staring after him.

"I always thought his parents would accept him." Vlad muttered as he returned to his human form and went back to sleep, a small smile on his face this time around.

xGonex

It had been a week since Danny had come to stay with him and Vlad was now getting terribly worried. The teen was always in his Ghost form when he was around Vlad or when Vlad would seem him around town.

The boy seemed to never hang out with his friends anymore and even scarier; he was talking to most of the ghosts, especially Skulker for some reason. Many of the ghosts would leave after their talk with the boy or would just fly around town with him, staying out of sight of Ghost Hunters or when Danny's friends were walking around.

Though it startled Vlad badly when he was watching the news that night, his worry escalating to new highs when he listened to the news reported.

"And tonight's breaking news is that of a young fifteen year old boy having gone missing. His parents filed a police report earlier this week but no traces of the boy could be found. It has been said that he has been kidnapped, most likely by ghosts." Vlad looked up at the TV in worry at this, he didn't need a ghost kidnapping kids for some obviously evil reason, it would tarnish his reputation.

"The boy is the son of two of Amity Parks Ghost hunters, Jack and Maddie Fenton. Neither have seen their son since earlier this week and none of his friends have been in contact with the boy either. Further information is being gathered as we speak and we all hope young Danny Fenton soon returns to us safe and sound. If anyone has any information on Danny Fenton and this investigation please call…." Vlad turned off the TV and sat there stunned for several moments. Not sure what he should do.

He had been seeing the boy on a daily bases and the boy looked as normal as possible, though he was usually in his Ghost form, floating around the mansion with an air of carefree that only a teenager could have. Though Vlad had noticed something else about the boy.

He would constantly sneak out at night and would not return till early morning. Vlad thought he was because he was meeting with his friends and telling them not to worry about him, but obviously this was wrong. If his friends hadn't seen him in a weeks' time either, than what was Daniel doing exactly at night.

Vlad pinched his nose as he leaned back into his chair and growled in annoyance, unsure of what he was going to do. That was when his cellphone began to ring.

Vlad sighed as he pulled out his phone and looked at the caller ID. He was surprised to see Buffon on it but knew who it was. He only had this one in his phone and Vlad dreaded answering it.

"Vlad Masters speaking, how can I help you?" Vlad answered like he would anyone else, not knowing exactly what Jack wanted but he could hazard a guess.

"Hey V-man, how are you doing?" The voice on the other end sounded tired and worn, making Vlad raise an eyebrow at this.

"I'm good Jack, but I must ask, what can I do for you this fine evening?" Vlad waited several moments, wondering if the other man would even answer his question.

Finally a sigh broke the other end and Vlad was highly worried now, Jack never sighed in sadness like that, something was really wrong with the man. "Vlad, I need a favor." Jack said and Vlad's eyebrows raised high on his head in surprise. Both Fenton men had asked for favors now. Why hadn't Danny even contacted his parents by this point?

"What is it Jack and I'll see what I can do for you?" Vlad answered and waited again for Jack to continue.

"Danny's gone missing and no one has seen him since Sunday, we're not sure where he's gone or if he's even okay at this point." Jack began to explain as Vlad listened. "I was wondering if you can get one of you private investigators to help us out here." Jack said, sounding as if he was crying a bit now. "We're out of options Vlad and you know I wouldn't ask if we had any other way to find him."

Vlad was silent as he listened to sobs finally break out on the other end, these cries were highly feminine, telling Vlad that Maddie was listening in on the call. "I'll see what I can do." Vlad said with a heavy sigh of his own, rubbing at his eyes as he tried to think why Daniel was doing this to his family. Telling them that he was a half ghost couldn't have been that bad, could it?

"Thanks Vladdie, I really appreciate it and so does Maddie and Jazz. Thanks again Vlad and keep me updated." Jack said and Vlad agreed, bidding his friend a farewell and a good night.

Vlad sighed as he stood back up and stood up from his chair and began to walk out of his study, feeling out for the younger half ghost. Vlad transformed as soon as he felt the younger just flying away from his mansion already. Vlad wasn't about to let Daniel fly out on his own again. He was going to follow Daniel this time and find out exactly what was going on.

xGonex

Vlad frowned as he stopped out on the edge of the forest on the outskirts of Amity Park. He was confused beyond belief when he saw the young halfa land beside something covered in mud and dirt, sitting cross legged on the ground and putting his chin in his hand, looking at the thing in sadness.

Vlad began to walk out of the forest when his Ghost sense went off again, signaling that he was getting closer to a ghost. Vlad's eyebrows furrowed as this happened again. The only time his Ghost Sense ever went off was when he was around a full formed ghost. It usually never went off when he was Daniel since the boy was still part human. But his sense had gone off several times this last week in the boy's presence.

Vlad gulped as a thought entered his head and he shook his head quickly. It couldn't be and he was sure that there must've been another ghost around somewhere close, just wondering around and looking to terrorize someone as was their nature.

Vlad walked over to Daniel and stopped right behind the boy who had yet to look away from whatever it was that was on the ground. "Daniel, come, we must return you home. Your family is highly worried about you." Vlad said as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, only to gasp as a chilling cold surrounded it. Vlad only ever felt that when he shook hands with Skulker, a full ghost.

Danny didn't move but sighed as he kept looking at the thing on the ground. Vlad by now really scared looked at the thing on the ground as well and gasped. Yes it was covered in mud, dirt, leaves, twigs, and many other things, but Vlad would know that once white shirt anywhere, along with the midnight hair that was dirtied.

Though the blood staining the white shirt signaled that this thing had died slowly and in massive pain. Vlad still couldn't believe what he was seeing though and he was shaking his head in denial.

"I was sick that day." Vlad startled at the sound of Danny's voice and looked towards the boy in surprise. "I was sick and I was weaker than I normally was, that was when Walker attacked." Danny continued as he kept his gaze on the thing.

Vlad gulped as he remembered that day. The town had been almost destroyed a week ago, Walker hunting down Danny Phantom so the ghost child could live his sentence out for the next million years.

"I led walker away from the town and I was surrounded by his men, Bullet just next to Walker and holding a fully loaded gun." Danny said as he began to shake in remembrance. "I was too weak. Walker had drained me of most of the energy I had that day and I could feel the illness I had draining me even more. I didn't have any time to dodge the bullet that Bullet had shot at me."

Vlad could feel the sting in his eyes as he looked down at what he was now aware to be the body of one fifteen year old Danny Fenton. He could hardly believe it but the truth stood right in front of his face. Danny Phantom was no longer of the human world because Danny Fenton was dead.

"Vlad?" Vlad blinked in surprise at the use of his first name being used by the younger ghost, who was now staring up at him with silver glowing tears falling down his face. "Can you do me a favor?" The young one asked.

Vlad was unable to speak but nodded his head at the younger one and waited to be asked whatever needed to be asked.

"Can you please take me home?" Danny asked as he looked towards his body that was laying on the ground in a fetal position. Vlad could just imagine Danny trying to suppress the pain in the position and trying to get help only to die.

"Take me home Vlad, to my family." Danny said as he pleaded with Vlad with wide green eyes that would never turn blue again.

Vlad gulped but nodded his head in acceptance. He wasn't about to cause this boy anymore pain by denying him one more wish. Danny smiled at him in thanks and finally stood up, moving aside so Vlad could get at his body. Vlad looked down at the white teen with the midnight hair. The boy's body was still stiff when Vlad picked it up and cradled it bridal style. Danny just stood to the side and watched with sad eyes.

Vlad looked at the younger and took to the air; sure the younger would be behind him, following Vlad to his home, where his parents would be burdened with even more.

Vlad stopped outside of the house and changed back to human, Danny turning invisible beside him and ringing the bell for him. It was late at night as the door opened to show Jasmine Fenton at the door, eyes red and bags underneath them. She was wearing a white tank top with pink pajama bottoms, a tissue in hand as she looked at him.

Her eyes fell down to the bundle in his arms and her eyes widened in disbelief. "DANNY!" She yelled and instantly reached out to touch her brother's shoulder, as if to wake him from a sleep. But as soon as she touched him and felt the cold seeping through his shirt, she was terrified. "DANNY! WAKE UP!" Jazz shook the body, trying to wake her little brother with no success.

"Jazz?" Vlad looked over the terrified girl to see Maddie standing behind her, looking at the body now as well. "Danny?" She whispered and soon she had grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and motioned for Vlad to come in and she continued to led him into the living room where Vlad laid his cargo onto the couch.

Maddie went over to her son and noticing several things at once she rushed closer. She felt his pulse and then tried to feel a breath, only to realize that there was none. Her son's skin was cold to the touch and was deathly white, eyes closed peacefully and his features relaxed, as if asleep.

Tears fell down the grown woman's face as she looked at her baby boy in horror and sorrow. "Danny." She whispered and then broke down all the way. "DANNY!" She screamed as she covered her face. Vlad could hardly stand to watch this, but then he was startled even more as loud footsteps came from where he knew the basement was and soon Jack stood next to his crying wife.

Jack looked down at his son and took everything in about the boy and didn't even have to ask. His head fell and tears flooded his eyes and flowed freely, he took his wife in his arms and held her gently, letting her cry against his chest as he looked over towards Vlad, who also had tears running down his face.

"Thank you Vlad, for bringing our boy home." Jack said as he turned back towards Maddie and led her away from the couch. Vlad looked at Danny's body one last time before turning to leave, only to be stopped by Jasmine who was still crying but her eyes now glaring hatefully at him.

"This is your fault! You killed Danny! I know you did! You've always hated him and now you've killed my little brother! Why did you do it Plasmius! He was only a kid! He didn't deserve to die!" Jazz said as she began to pound on the billionaire's chest in anger and sadness. Vlad let her, after all, he did almost kill the boy several times before, though he didn't have a hand in it this time.

"Jazz, it wasn't his fault." Jazz gasped as she turned to the couch, hoping her brother was sitting up and only crying when she realized it hadn't come from the couch. "Vlad didn't even know." Jazz turned around to see the ghostly form of her brother as Danny Phantom. "I never told him until tonight when he followed me."

Jazz's eyes watered further and more tears fell down her face as she looked at her little brother, a full fledge ghost now. "Danny." She sobbed as she walked over to him and hugged her brother around the neck, ignoring the chill she got. Danny hugged her around the waist and ran a hand through her red hair.

"Shh, it's alright. It's no one's fault. It just happened and I passed painlessly, it was fast, I promise." Danny said, lying to his sister to reassure her. Jazz just cried all the harder at this and couldn't help but hug the ghost teen even tighter. Vlad watched in sadness at this, wondering why he was still here when he was no longer needed.

"Danny, I'm so sorry. I could've helped, I could've been there, I should've saved you." Jazz said as she cried harder. She couldn't believe her little brother was no longer apart of her world.

Danny shook his head and pulled her away from him so he could look her in the eyes. "It wasn't your fault, none of this was. If it was any ones, it was mine. I let my guard down and I paid for it." He said as he stepped back from her. "Just don't let this get you done Jazz, I want to see you get into college." He said with a smile.

Jazz cried harder and fell to the ground on her knees, sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe. Danny sighed and kneeled down in front of her, waving a hand in front of her eyes and a glowing pink mist surrounding her. "Go to sleep Jazz." Danny said and soon Jazz was fast asleep on the floor, laying peacefully and undisturbed with dreams.

Danny stood up and picked her up, flying and phasing into her room and putting her to bed gently. He returned back down stairs to see his father kneeled next to the couch, hands held together in pray and eyes closed as he leaned his upper half over the body on the couch.

Danny could hardly believe his father was so quiet. He had never seen his father this quiet before. "What happened with Maddie?" Danny looked over towards Vlad who stood at the head of the couch, where his head laid.

"I gave her some sleeping pills and put her to bed. She'll be a wreck for the next couple of years." Jack said as he looked at his friend. "Vlad, I'm going to need your help for a while. I can't take care of the funeral arrangements and take care of the girls. I need you to take over the arrangements; you'll actually know what you're doing better than me anyways." Jack said as he turned back to his son.

Vlad nodded his head and went to leave. "I'll get started on it and I believe there's someone here who knows what happened to your son." Vlad said as he turned towards where Danny was floating silently. Danny nodded his head in understanding as he landed and turned visible.

Vlad left the house to Danny Phantom explaining what had happened to Danny Fenton and everything his did to try and save the boy. Vlad could only hope that Jack didn't tear the Ghost Child Molecule by molecule in his anguish.

xGonex

The funeral had gone well enough, though it was like any other funeral, depressing and sad. It was raining the day of it and everyone had umbrellas to keep them dry. Danny's family was in front and with them were the boy's friends. The Goth and technical boy were both crying heavily as they mourned their lost friend. Neither moved away from the other, not wanting to leave the other.

Several of the boy's schoolmates were there too, football players wearing nice black suits and several girls wearing black dresses. All were crying too, but lightly. There was a fat man there too, a goatee and a bald head wearing a black suite as well, unsure how this man knew Danny at all.

Vlad sighed as he looked back towards the preacher that was saying regular things and finally the coffin began to be laid into the ground. Vlad watched in sorrow as his young nemesis was buried and the ground soon patted down. Vlad stood there long after everyone else left, staring at the headstone that had been placed there. Vlad had it made especially for the young boy.

It was large and made of black marble with an angel carved at the top that was reaching towards the sky. He had paid for everything actually, wanting to give the boy something in return for all the grief that he had given him.

On the headstone though was what had gotten him. He had done a lot of research to find the right saying to put on the headstone and he was sure that it would soon be written down in the yearbook in remembrance to the young boy at school. He could tell from the way that several of the boy's classmates were there.

_Daniel James Fenton_

_11/10/91-11/23/06_

_A Loved Son, A Loved Brother, and A loved Friend_

_A boy who knew more pain_

_And kept those safe, _

_By giving everything up,_

_To make sure everyone was happy,_

_Even if it meant he suffered._

Vlad stood in the rain for a long time, looking at the marble headstone with regret and sadness. The boy was really gone, no longer there, he hadn't even seen the ghost Danny. He wasn't sure where he had gone off to, but he was sure the boy would return. He hoped actually.

Vlad sighed as he turned to leave the cemetery but stopped as his ghost sense burned his chest and exited his mouth. He whipped around to see Danny standing there in front of him, a smile on his face as he looked at the older Halfa. The thing though that surprised Vlad though was the fact that the boy looked like his normal human self.

"Thanks Vlad." Danny said as his figure began to dissolve suddenly and Vlad panicked as he watched it. "I couldn't leave until they let me go, let me leave in peace, knowing they knew." Danny said as he smiled at the older man, his legs now completely gone.

"What are you talking about Daniel, you can't leave, they still need you, the town still needs you." Vlad said as he tried to get Danny to stay here, so he could still have his nemesis around.

Danny shook his head as he put his hands in his now gone pockets, his hands disappearing as well. "No, Amity Park will be left alone. I talked to the other ghosts and they'll leave it be. Even Walker said he would since I asked him as a last request." Danny said as he looked at the sky. "I also told my parents about being a half ghost." He said and Vlad looked at him in surprise. "I also told them about you too."

Vlad was beyond speechless as he looked at the boy who was now smiling at him with sapphire eyes that glowed with happiness. "They'll let you into the family Vlad, you just have to let your grudge go." He said, only his shoulders and head were there now. "Let it go Vlad and you can be happy."

Vlad shook his head as he looked at the younger one. "Daniel, you can stay, you can stay here and watch over them! You can fight with me all the time now! You can be here and stay and watch them grow! You can keep them safe if only you stay!" Vlad yelled at the young teen who only had his head left now.

Danny shook his head as he smiled at the man with soft glowing eyes. "I can't Vlad. I wouldn't be happy here. I wouldn't be able to interact with everyone and I'd only ever be seen as a ghost anymore, I'm a full fledge ghost Vlad, I don't belong here." Danny said as he looked at Vlad with a soft look in his eyes.

"Daniel, no, don't go little Badger, I need you." Vlad pleaded with the disappearing teen, whose eyes were now the only thing left.

"You don't need me Vlad, you have my family. They'll have you." Danny said as he blinked his eyes and they too disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

"Let go of the past Vlad and move into a bright future." Danny's voice echoed through the cemetery as Vlad fell to his knees, sobbing tirelessly. He had no idea how long he was there until he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

Vlad looked over his shoulder to meet the soft blue eyes of his college friend. Jack smiled at him sadly as he looked towards the grave marker of his son. "He told us everything Vladdie, we know who and what you are." Jack said and Vlad's eyes returned to the ground, his fists gripping the grass there with a deadly hold.

"He asked us to have you into our family." Jack finally said as he looked at his old college buddy. "To forgive you for what you did to him and let you be part of our lives. To give you a second chance." Jack whispered softly and Vlad froze.

A second chance? Daniel wanted him to have a second chance? Vlad stared at the ground softly for a long time before he nodded his head and stood up, looking up at Jack with a small bit of happiness, though he was still swamped with sadness. "I would love to Jack, my old friend." Vlad said reaching his hand out.

Jack smiled at him and took his hand and shook it. "Come on, Maddie and Jazz are waiting for us." He said as he turned to walk away.

Vlad nodded as he began to follow his friend, stopping and looking back at the grave one more time, smiling. "I'll move on Daniel, I promise. Rest in peace little Badger."

Vlad could've sworn he heard laughter as the wind blew his hair and he followed his friend into a new future. One where he wouldn't be alone anymore.

xGonex

What did you think? I thought I was kinda sad but you know, I tend to think I'm heartless and I thought I was just a nice story. I've been dying to write something like this for a long time and it's a oneshot Too! I've never written one before, all of my stories usually consist of more than one chapter. Well, I hoped you enjoy and please comment! I wanna hear your opinions. This is done and will have no chapters.


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